BOSTON — Preliminary state unemployment figures for May are expected to be released Thursday, after the April jobless rate held steady at 6.4 percent.

Massachusetts shed about 1,400 jobs in April, marking the third consecutive month of job losses for the Bay State, according to the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. The statistics to be released today will include revised data for April.

Meanwhile, the national unemployment rate rose to 7.6 percent in May, with the Federal Reserve painting a slightly rosier economic picture for the remainder of this year into next year. Fed officials predict the unemployment rate could fall to 7.2 percent by the end of this year and go as low as 6.5 percent by the end of 2014.

Economists also believe growth will pick up next year, rising by up to 3.5 percent and exceeding previous predictions.

This is a developing story. More details will be added after the data is released later today.

Material from the Associated Press, Boston Globe, State House News Service and Tradingeconomics.com was used in this report.